Pro-democracy media tycoon and British citizen Jimmy Lai, 78, was sentenced to 20 years in prison by a Hong Kong court for national security offences, marking the harshest sentence under the city’s controversial law to date.

The court described Lai’s actions as “grave” and “premeditated,” while Lai, a prominent Beijing critic and founder of Apple Daily, has always denied the charges.

Supporters gathered outside the court amid heavy police presence, with his son calling the sentence “basically a death sentence” for defending Hong Kong’s freedoms.

The decision drew international condemnation from the UK, US, Europe, and human rights groups, though China’s foreign ministry defended it as lawful, the BBC has reported.

UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper denounced the prosecution as politically motivated and pledged swift engagement with Beijing.